Makcel loche



Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITE a "TTEYS MARCEL LOGI-IEE, OF FQNTENVAY SOUSBOIS, Y.

vBarn Jorn'r Application sied April 11,1931, serial No. 529,483, ana 'in'France April 17, .1930.

Many effortshave heretofore been made Y to provide a rail jointadaptedfor con-nect-k application of the device', the loosening of thejoint and resulting spreading of the rail sections in use, the ylargenumber of'bolts required'with the concomitant separation loss Vof thelatter, and also the hindrance to free thermal expansion or contraction,of the rail sections due tothe necessity in rail joints not heldhitherto by bolts passing through the Webs of the rail sections of`firm-ly abutting and clamping lsaid rail joints against the base of therail sections. Y i

It is theprimaryobject of the present inventionto'overconie the aboveand other existing objectionsor defects in rail joints and ,allieddevices `as at present constructed'and to this end'the inventionprovides a rail joi-nt of improvedand siinplied construction involvingbut a fewparts, comparatively inexpensive to produce, readilyapplicablel to .and detachable from the rail sections to be jointed, andhighly efficient; satisfactory and durable infuse.

Another object ofthe 'invention resides in the provision of a railjoint, comprising a vpair o`f vco-opera'ting rail engaging splices orkclamping.rnernbers abutted in widely d`i-V vergingrelat-ion to eachotherv a-trthe opposite undersides of the rail section heads and novelmeans for securing'said clamping ineinbers in holding contact with therail sections without the necessity fof providing holes in, vorotherwise damaging 4or weakening,- their we-bs and moreoverA withoutinterfering with the required thermalexpansion or contraction .of therail sections. Y

Still]L another object of the invention resides i inthe provisionof arail joint comprising a pair lof cooperating "clamping niembersforsplices abutted 'in widely dwerg-lng yrelation to Yeach otheratthefopposifte beveledV under- .j

sides' inthe provision ofa rai-l j-oint coinl' p-rlsing a pair yofcooperating vclamping j abutted iin widely divergin'g relation -to` eachother at the opposite undersides of the rail section heads soy-as 'toconstitute a reinforced or sup-porting medium forone another-,therebytaking 'considera-ble strain from the rail sections, themselves,Vwhich,l is particularly fusef-ulincase of a traclrron which veryhe'avytrains ltravel a-t hligh speeds. j

Other yobjects of the invention w-il-lbe appreciated Vvfrom theldescription 1to follow when considered in connection with the'accompanying drawingsfwhi'ch `forms-a part of this disclosureandwherein is shown for the purpose of illustration a convenienty and lsatisfactory embodiment of the invention.

ln' the drawings: Figure 1- is a'longitudinal elevational view y showingthe two adjacent rail sections fitifedv with the improved rail jointspiked to the ties of the track, assuming saidvties to be made of woodas `is`usual in railroadbu'ilding. l VFigure 2 is a topviewcorrespondi-ng to vFigure ,1 and showing the side lugs by which theclamping members are spiked downtotfh'e ties of the track.' i f Figure 3is a cross sectional View along the liney onfof Figure 2, looking in thedirection of the arrow,` thel tie being shown in Y chain lines. Y f

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view along Vof the line" g/-g/ .of Figure2,a1lso lookinginlthe direction of the arrow.

parts throughout the several views yAs ifllustratedpthe ini-proved yrailjointi's Like reference characters ydesignate like lOO mena-bers orbuttressJl'ikespli'ces or props .,65V Y made up primarily of a pair ofsymmetrically arranged clamping members constituted by angle fish platesor splices advantageously made of highly resistance steel. Each of theseclamping members comprises three integrally cast or machined parts:first an obliquely extending buttress plate 1 abutted against thebeveled underside of the heads A, A of the adjacent rail sections andterminating short of the top face of the ties C, C, secondly, avertically extending skirt 5 of a length shorter than that of thebuttress plate 1 and so sized as to loosely lit into the space betweenthe two consecutive ties C, C spanned by the rail joint and, thirdly, apair of horizontally extending lugs 11 resting upon the top face of therespective ties C, C and firmly secured thereto by spikes 9 engagingthrough holes 12 formed in said lugs and having heads 10 bearing on saidlugs.

j The obtuse angle formed by the oblique buttress plate 1 and thesubstantially horizontal lugs 11 is preferably comprised between 110oand 145 but may vary of course depending on the cross sectional shape ofthe rail sections to be coupled.

Aligned with theV side edges of the skirt 5 are narrow vertical slots1fL extending over a small portion of the buttress plate 1 for givingthe buttress-and-skirt unit a slight flexibility or resiliency sidewisefor a purpose that will appear hereafter. The two clamping members orsplices 1-5-11 of which the rail joint is made up are arrangedsymmetrically to the webs of the rail sections, as shown by Figures 3and 4, and are held invariably spaced by a rigid stretcher or strut 6advantageously constituted by a piece of shaped steel comprising arectangular bottom plate and integral convergent tapering wings oftrapezoidal outline bent down at their free upper ends to form hooks 6a.The stretcher is thus, viewed in perspective, channel-shaped and acts asa fulcrum.

The depending skirt 5 of each clamping member 15-11 is formed, in theconstructional form shown, with a pair of spaced holes through which arerespectively engaged a pair of bolts 7 terminally fitted with nuts 8.The number of such bolts may vary, for eX- ample depending on thedistance between the two consecutive ties C, C. Easy access to the nuts8 may be had due to said nuts being located in the open space betweentheties on both sides of the gap B betweenmthe rail sections A, A. Thus alspanner or wrench may be easily introduced to get hold of the nuts 8when it becomes necessary to tighten or loosen the said nuts.

The rail sections are clamped as usual to the ties C, C byscrew-threaded spikes D of conventional form which imprison the railbases between the spike heads and the ties. Such spikes D are shown inthe drawings as engaged in those particular ties fitted with the spikes9-10 which serve to hold down the lugs 11 of the novel clamping membersor splices but should this arrangement be found to weaken the tiesexcessively, espe cially in the case of wooden ties, the spikes D may bedone away with in each of said particular ties.

To assemble the rail joint, each clamping member 1 5-11 is first placedin operative position as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the bolts 7 beingengaged in the holes in the skirts 5 whereupon the upper hooks 6a of thefulcrum stretcher 6 are engaged over said bolts. By then tightening thenuts 8, the skirts 5 and buttress plates 1 which, due to the slots 1a,possess a certain resiliency sidewise are forced towards each other, theupper ends of the buttress plates 1 becoming firmly wedged into thegrooved or beveled undersides 2 of the rail section heads A, A. When thenuts 8 have thus been thoroughly tightened for example by means of a boxwrench such as the one commonly used by railroad workers, thescrew-threaded spikes 9 are inserted into the holes 12 formed in theside lugs 11 and driven home till the heads 10 of said spikes contactwith said lugs and hold the latter in invariable position'with respectto the ties C, C.

It will be appreciated that due to the holdv ing stress produced by thebracing bolts 7 exercising itself at right angles to the holding stressensured by the spikes 9, any displacement of the clamping members orsplices 1-511 is precluded in any direction irrespective of the strainstransmitted thereto by the rail sections.

It will thus be seen that the invention provides a rail joint of simpleand rugged structure which permits holding the adjacent or` abuttingrail sections invariably while preventing any lateral displacement orcreeping and while also saving said rail sections from the dangerousbreakages as are caused at present by the weakening due to bolts beingengaged through the webs of most rails of existing railroads.

Numerous minor constructional details such for example as the size andshape of the skirts 5 or lugs 11 and the number of bolts 7 or spikes 9might of course be changed without departing from the scope of theinvention as set forth in the subjoined claims.

What I claim is: Y

1. A rail joint for railroads comprising, in combination., a pair ofco-operating clamping members arranged symmetrically to the adjacentrail sections and each integrally made up of a buttress plate slantingoff the underside of the heads of said rail sections, side abutmentsbearing on the top faces of the track ties spanned by the joint, and askirt depending in the space between said ties, a rigid stretcherlocated in said space underneatll the bases of the rail sections andhold- CTI ing the companion skirts invariably spaced, and bracing meansintermediate the stretcher and rail section bases for firmly clampingsaid skirts together. v l g 2. A rail joint for railroads comprising, incombination, a pair of co-operating clamping members arrangedsymmetrically to the adjacent rail sections and each made up of abuttress plate steeply slanting off the underside of the heads of saidrail sections, side abutment lugs flatly bearing on the top faces of thetrack ties spanned by the joint, and a skirt depending in the spacebetween said ties, a rigid fulcrum stretcher located in said space belowthe bases of the rail sections and holding the companion skirtsinvariably spaced, and transverse bolts intermediate the stretcher' andrail section bases for firmly clamping said skirts together.

3. A rail joint for railroads comprising, j

in combination, a pair of co-operating clamp ing members arrangedsymmetrically to the adjacent rail sections and each integrally made upof a buttress platesteeply slanting off the underside of the heads ofsaid rail sections, side abutment lugs delineating an-obtuse angle withsaid buttressrplate and flatly bearing on the top faces of the trackties spanned by the joint, and a skirt depending in the space betweensaid ties, a rigid fulcrum stretcher located in said space below thebases of the rail sections and holding the companion skirts spacedinvariably, and transverse bolts intermediate the stretcher and railsectionbases for firmly clamping said skirts together.

4. A rail joint for railroads comprising, in combination, a pair ofcooperating clamping members arranged symmetrically to the adjacent railsections and each integrally made up of a buttress plate lsteeplyslanting off the underside of the heads of said rail sections, sidehorizontally protruding lugs delineating an obtuse angle with saidbuttress plate and flatly bearing on the top faces of the track tiesspanned bythe joint, and a skirt depending in the space between saidties, a rigid fulcrum stretcher located in said space below the bases ofthe rail sections, said stretcher comprising a rectangular bottom spikesanchoring said lugs to the underlying track ties spanned by the joint,and a skirt depending in the space between said ties, short narrow slotsextending upwardly into the buttress plate in alignment with the sideedges of the skirt, a rigid fulcrum stretcher located in said spacebelow the bases of the rail sections, said stretcher comprising arectangular bottom plate holding the companion skirts spaced invariably,and upwardly di# rected tapering wings converging towards each otherandhavingtheir upper edges bent down to form hooks, and transverse boltsengaged through the skirts and in the stretcher hooks and fitted withnuts for firmly clamping said skirts together. l

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

MARCELV Looms.

fico

plate holding the companion skirts spaced in` v variably, and upwardlydirected tapering wings having their upper edges bent down to formhooks, and transverse bolts Vengaging through the stretcher hooks andfirmly bracing said skirts together.

5. A rail joint for railroads comprising, in combination, a pair ofco-operating clamping members arranged symmetrically to the adjacentrail sections and each integrally made up of a buttress plate steeplyslanting off the underside of the heads of said rail sections, sidehorizontally protruding lugs delineating an obtuse angle with saidbuttress plate and formed with holes receiving

